1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display equipment system for use in stores or the like for displaying merchandise such as non-perishable foods on free standing or hanging racks with lightweight open wire baskets or containers. The racks can be assembled from a package of disassembled interfitting parts readily assembled in different configurations for placement in various areas of the store at different heights for display of the goods. The number of baskets or containers on each rack can be varied in height as well as in length of the baskets commensurate with the width of the rack. A unique assortment of fasteners for quickly assembling and disassembling the display rack units and segments is an essential part of the present invention.
2. Description of the Related Art
The related art describes various display equipment for holding goods and the like. The display equipment art is a crowded art in which the present invention establishes a niche. The art of interest will be discussed in the order of perceived relevance to the present invention.
PCT Patent Application No. WO 87/00015 published on Jan. 15, 1987, for Nils Tallving describes a goods display stand on wheels having foldable wire trays or solid wood or metal shelves. The wire trays have an inwardly folding front wall which permits the topmost tray to be folded up first against the open rear wall of the stand, with the adjacent tray being folded next. The trays or shelves are all positioned horizontally. The frame can be designed to stand on a flat surface, fitted with wheels, hung from a wall or mounted on a wall, but with no further description how these options are implemented. The reference is distinguished by the lack of a readily dismantleable frame which is the crux of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,712 issued on Aug. 1, 1972, to Stanley J. Jurasek describes a modular display rack made only from bare wires spot welded at various joints. The rack can consist of one or two sections with inclined and horizontal shelves. The inclined wire shelves have a shoulder portion only on the front. There are no separate regions on each shelf for different packages. A removable auxiliary shelf is provided for the upper section on one side. The ends of the shelves are designed to hook over and under two wires of the side frame wires. There are no suggestions for forming hollow support structures, clamps and shelf hangers for the modular display.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,214 issued on Oct. 2, 1990, to Richard C. Sayers describes a cassette storage basket for mounting on a rack mounted mobile storage system. The rack structure consists of a vertical rectangular frame on two horizontal support rails with caster wheels. Storage racks are mounted on two sides of the main frame with vertical and horizontal wire subframes which support the hanging removable wire baskets on which video tape cassettes are arranged. The baskets have no front rail and are designed for tilting upwards. There are no suggestions for forming hollow support structures, clamps and shelf hangers for the mobile storage system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,702 issued on Dec. 5, 1989, to John A. Rekow describes a rectangular freestanding or wall installation store display rack having a plurality of pairs of horizontal rods which receive inserted brackets of various types of supports for merchandise. Vertical stiffeners spaced apart support the horizontal rods. A shelf assembly includes a wire bracket and a shelf having an offset rear edge for locking engagement with a pair of horizontal rods. A waterfall arm with notches for hanging articles is attached between two pairs of the horizontal rods. Single arm display hooks are also attached in the same manner. An inverted T stand with footings at each end supports each side of the rack. A modified form of the rack is mountable directly by fasteners and a grooved bracket to a wall. There are no suggestions for utilizing baskets and jointed parts for the display rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,908 issued on May 7, 1996, to Ralph E. Williams describes a wall mounted and floor supported modular system for assembling food service fixtures consisting of a plurality of leg assemblies having a front leg, a rear member that can be selectively suspended at desired locations from a horizontal rail, and a substantially horizontal member extending between the rear member and the front leg. Each front leg includes fastening means for supporting doors, aprons, plate shelves, panels, etc. Clips are used to removably secure shelves between the horizontal members of adjacent leg assemblies. The modular system is based on a leg assembly which is integral and not separable into parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,415 issued on Apr. 22, 1997, to Donald H. Felsenthal et al. describes a portable wardrobe frame having a rectangular shape with a clothes hanging section without shelves and a shelf section with wire shelves supporting hardboard panels. Horizontal connection pieces connect six vertical poles. The wire shelves have end projections directed in various directions to interlock with apertures oriented similarly in the vertical posts. A cloth cover completes the portable wardrobe closet. There are no suggestions for attaching the wire shelves with fasteners, for forming side supports for the wire shelves or for forming the six vertical poles from smaller units.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,076 issued on Sep. 12, 1995, to Andrew J. Van Noord describes a product facing device consisting of wire shelf racks having a spring loaded element for urging packaged goods such as videotapes towards the front of a shelf. The rear of a shelf has two parallel horizontal wire bars welded to two end convoluted wire bars for attachment to a conventional supporting device not shown. The inclined side bars and multiple movable spacer bars support another horizontal front bar with a vertical panel and a J-shaped bar grid which is further supported by two horizontal bottom bars. There are no suggestions for attachment of a rack to a modular support frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,839 issued on Dec. 17, 1991, to A. Jeanne Arnone describes a display stand assembly consisting of a channel steel or plastic frame which can stand on a floor or be mounted on a wall. A plurality of vertical flat rear posts have two columns of chair-shaped apertures facing each other in an alternate manner for hanging of removable inclined wire shelves or projecting rods. There is no suggestion for modifying the frame or the posts to be sectional for assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,380 issued on Nov. 22, 1983, to Paul Flum describes a product merchandising rack consisting of a stacked rectangular box frame in which each open interlocking box section supports an inclined wire basket with 3 to 4 guide channels having parallel wire tracks covered with plastic sheaths or a plastic sheet of removable tracks. There is no suggestion for hanging the rack from a wall or fastening to a wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,970 issued on Dec. 26, 1995, to James Watt et al. describes an adjustable produce display rack consisting of two pivoting wire racks which have an inclined front section with horizontal bars. The upper rack can be extended telescopically upward and locked in place by a pivotal hinge structure. The rack is housed within a conforming inclined plane structure with a front rail. There is no suggestion for forming a modular structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,279 issued on Apr. 2, 1996, to Richard W. Wentworth describes a height and angle-adjustable display rack for use in a display wall case with the wire elements made from epoxy-coated metal. The three basic parts are (1) an expandable tilt top and (2) an expandable base frame which are held together by (3) a U-shaped tilt bar. The base frame has a pair of hooks in front and in the rear which lock into the display wall case (not shown). This display rack bears little structural resemblance to the present invention.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 259,315 issued on May 26, 1981, to Allan L. Ford et al. describes a multi-unit belt display fixture consisting of two posts supported by two joined square floor bases and two horizontal plates on top. Each post supports a triangular shaped rack with extended hooks for hanging belts. It is unclear whether any parts can be disassembled readily, and this display rack bears little structural significance relative to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,124 issued on Aug. 31, 1993, to Gene Buday describes a rectangular storage cart on wheels which support vertically inclined storage racks filled with slidable containers of baked goods or dough. The wire racks have three chutes with a front stop guide wire and a wire rib member which stops the containers from having their lids knocked off or cocking the packages forward. The cart is not adapted to be readily assembled or disassembled as in the present invention for positioning in various locations.
German Patent No. 411,278 issued on Nov. 15, 1966, to Adolf Spinner describes a display stand having a top cover, a solid back panel and two rear apertured posts with cross-braces for supporting horizontal or inclined shelves with wire baskets or solid walled compartments. An apertured foot extends from each post to support the stand as well as the bottom shelf. It is clear from the drawings that the posts are not segmented and the shelves are not attached as in the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a display equipment solving the aforementioned problems is desired.